Liu Zhiyu, a math wizard and a fresh graduate from Beijing University, gave up a full scholarship offered by the prestigious U.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and chose to become a Buddhist at the Longquan Temple, the first Buddhist temple in Beijing.

"Tall, very thin and not talkative," was how Liu was described by a female practitioner at the Longquan Temple located in Beijing Haidian district. An old professor brought Liu here two years ago and then he came here from time to time, the female practitioner said.

Liu has just started to do practice at present, and it will take several years of study for him to formally convert to Buddhism, according to a monk, his Buddhist name being Xian Dong. But Liu Zhiyu declined to be interviewed by reporters.

There are quite a few cases like this, popping up more and more over the years.

Several reasons: The generally more open attitude towards religion in the PRoC, especially towards Buddhism. The problems that any society that is entrenched in materialism will face (ie. Marxist / Maoist communism), and a lack of anything spiritual.

It's people like these who will soon put Buddhism squarely back into Chinese culture in the next generation or so. Also, they will enable it to go from its superstitious side (as it is popularly conceived, partly under communist rhetoric influence), and make it modernized and more in touch with modern thought.